Narration - Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde

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Transcript of Narration - Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde

Types of Narrative Point of View Types of Narrative Point of View Narration For example; Novels, short stories, histories and biographies are types of narration Types of Narrative Point of View Third person narrative In this case, an author will move back and forth between a more omniscient third-person narrator to a more personal first-person narrator. Narration in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Throughout most of the book we have Mr. Utterson’s point of view. However, it is supplemented by four other narratives: Mr. Enfield’s story of the doorthe maid’s account of the Carew murderDr. Lanyon’s storyDr. Jekyll’s confession We get the story this way because it draws out the suspense, and the mystery, and the shocking nature that was sort of necessary for shilling shockers back in the day. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Narrative techniques the story is relayed by a narrator who is also a character within the storythe narrator reveals the plot by referring to this point of viewThe narrator will talk in "I" (or, when plural, "we"). First person narrative The rarest mode in literature (though quite common in song lyrics) The narrator refers to the reader as "you", Second person narrative In the third-person narrative mode, each and every character is referred to by the narrator as "he", "she", "it", or "they", but never as "I" or "we" or "you". it is obvious that the narrator is not a character of any kind within the story being told. Alternating Person Narration Types of Narrative Point of View Alternating person narration subjective, objective, omniscient Mr Utterson's narrative The story opens with a third person narrative. We are told about Mr Utterson; his personality, lifestyle and qualities. Utterson is Jekyll's lawyer and that he has some suspicions about the shadowy friend of Jekyll, Mr Hyde. The effect is to keep us (the readers) in the dark, along with Utterson. Doctor Lanyon's account The central section of the novel is a short account written by a friend of Dr Jekyll's who gives his eye-witness account of Dr Jekyll's change from human to monster.This technique is especially effective in that this eye-witness account is explained in Dr Lanyon's own words in the first person narrative. This way despite the horror, because it is seen through his friend's eyes, our sympathies remain with Dr Jekyll and we remain curious to find out what will happen next. Dr Jekyll's letter The final section is Dr Jekyll's own statement written before Mr Hyde takes him over completely.It takes the form of a letter written in the first person by Dr Jekyll himself. Using this narrative technique, Stevenson is able to give us the sense that we are finding out what has happened from the man himself. It is a first-person 'confessional' narrative and is therefore all the more convincing. Bibliography http://www19.homepage.villanova.edu/karyn.hollis/prof_academic/Courses/2104/types_of_narrative_point_of_view.htmhttp://khanterbury.wordpress.com/2012/01/05/a-novel-idea/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narrative_mode#First-person_view